English Language Writing Skills

By Danso Kwasi Nti Samuel (DAS). Study the complete course source, examine every model and practise alongside Professor Jarvis.

Course printed page 29 PDF page 35 of 505

For tables, matching columns, IPA and original formatting, open the course PDF above.

Group Collaborative Study Dialogue on Producing Consonant Sounds in

Context (Fricatives, Nasals, and Affricates)

Ata: Hi everyone! Today we’re diving into fricatives, nasals, and affricates. Fricatives are

produced by forcing air through a narrow gap, creating friction. There are a few types of

fricatives, including /f/, /v/, /θ/, and /ð/. Mansa, can you start by explaining the voiceless

fricatives?

Mansa: Sure, Ata! Voiceless fricatives include /f/ and /θ/. For /f/, you force air through a

narrow gap between the upper teeth and lower lip. Examples include "fish," "flame," and

"fist." For /θ/, you push air between the tongue and the upper teeth. Examples are "think,"

"bath," and "north."

Esi: Great start! Now, for the voiced fricatives. We have /v/ and /ð/. The /v/ sound is

produced similarly to /f/ but with vocal cord vibration. Examples are "vase," "voice," and

"save." For /ð/, you also push air between the tongue and the upper teeth but with vocal cord

vibration. Examples include "this," "mother," and "brother."

Appiah: That’s correct. To distinguish between voiced and voiceless fricatives in context,

consider these examples: In "The fast van," the /f/ in "fast" is voiceless, while the /v/ in "van"

is voiced. Similarly, in "That thin line," the /θ/ in "thin" is voiceless, and the /ð/ in "that" is

voiced.

Ata: Perfect! Moving on to how fricatives work in connected speech. In phrases like "He

loves the view," the /v/ in "view" smoothly follows the /f/ in "loves," blending together.

Another example is "The soft voice," where the /v/ in "voice" follows the /f/ in "soft" without

a noticeable pause.